"It is very stupid for Georgia to start a war with Russia because we are very big and they are very small, but that is always the way in history with Georgia," said Uryadova.

People have been dying this past week in South Ossetia and Abkhazia so one must tip-toe carefully in the search for a broader meaning in this particular sporting contest. As Ms Uryadova and Mr Akhvlediani pointed out -- united, for once -- this conflict has affected athletes from both nations, some of whom have friends and relatives caught up in the conflict.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2...throw_sand.html

and this right here

Only the bellicose and the overly nationalistic would disagree with that. Even so, it is probably best not to get too po-faced, especially in the context of beach volleyball, which is after all a contest featuring four women in bikinis (the maximum size of which is stipulated in the rules) slapping a bag of wind over a net on a court made from sand shipped in from the nearest beach.



and here...

That the cheerleaders and the brainless chatter of the MC are an insult to both women and the intelligence of those who bought tickets goes without saying. But what was to be made of the music choices blared out during the many pauses in this morning's play: Blitzkrieg Bop, by the Ramones? Burning Down The House, by Talking Heads? Sex Bomb, by Tom Jones? If there is a gold medal for crass insensitivity this week, then the rest of the field might as well pack their bags and go home.

Last edited by winston on Aug-13-2008 at 19:34